JONEA I stood in front of an old antique shop in the suburbs. I just stood there doing nothing for a while. And it's as if my reflection in the shop glass is teasing me. You're a loser, Jonea! Before coming here, I purposely dyed my hair bright red. I hoped this red color could disguise my pale skin from hiding in a cave in the forest for too long. This old antique shop is among other shops selling everyday items. After standing there, I now became doubtful. Without noticing, one of my feet stepped backward. "Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?" I turned my head. A man in his 60s with neatly combed gray hair stood behind me. I glanced at his hand, carrying a cup of hot coffee from the vending machine across the street. "Come in! You are free to visit my shop." The man smiled kindly at me and walked towards the shop. He opened the glass door, and the old brass bell that hung above the door jangled. I followed him into the shop. Strange, the feeling of doubt that appear
JONEA Arman took me to a particular room behind the stage. It's like a stage play or opera, although I'm not sure. "We will directly start the auction for you today. Because you're special." I stayed silent when Arman put iron shackles on my neck, hands, and feet. I am like a beast that must be secured by iron shackles interlocked by chains. Even though the shackles were very loose, I had some objections because they were made of iron. This is very inconvenient. "Do these shackles hurt you?" asked Arman patiently. I can't tell the truth. I can only show a flat, expressionless face and shake my head at him. "I'm fine." "Sorry, Jonea. I have to do this for you. These shackles are only a symbol and a requirement for the auction process. Think of it as showing potential buyers that you're safely sealed. I hope you understand what I mean." I just nodded grimly. Even though my wolf soul hasn't appeared yet, I'm still a beast everyone hates. Instantly I feel nauseous when I have to i
DARAN "Sir, just a suggestion. Horse-drawn carriages are too old-fashioned for today's era. You should replace it with a Maserati, Lambo or Porsche.” "What are you talking about, Loko?" I am annoyed. I am still determining the names of the things he mentioned. Is that a new stagecoach? "I mean, you haven't left the castle in 100 years. Of course, there's a lot of change going on out there. Stagecoaches are not very suitable for use on the streets of the cities and countries you will visit this time.” I looked at Loko. He was very nervous but still determined to speak his mind without hesitation. I showed him my sour face. Let him know the taste. "Nonsense," I said. "Who asked your opinion?" I'm really pissed off. I know it's been a century of not keeping up with the world. But who likes to be taught and shown their mistakes like that? He's an entirely insensitive servant. "I don't care about other people's judgements," I added before getting into the stagecoach. "After all, the
JONEA This big and scary man stared at me from behind his devil-like mask. I was sitting as far away from him as I could. I just want to know why he said he would make me his bride? That's not what I want. I still have up to 20 minutes to cancel this contract. Cringle… I'm suffocating. Again he tugged at the iron shackles around my neck. Our faces met even though he was still covering it with a mask. I gripped the restraints tightly so he wouldn't pull them any tighter. I saw his face at the auction as he peeked out from behind the mask. I just saw his cynical smile, truly like the smile of a cold-blooded killer. The car goes fast. I glanced out the window, and people were not paying attention to us. Of course, there won't be. "Let me go!" I groaned in pain. He looked at me intently. The mask was the only distance between us. Our faces are entirely opposite. Suddenly he took off his mask and showed his natural face before me. Yes, he is very handsome. Typical of men who will be
JONEA Before Daran managed to reach the main door of the black stone building, I ran faster to hunt him down. Even if I only managed to tug at the hem of his robes, that would be better. "What do you think you're doing?" Daran hissed at my deed. He just turned his head slightly over his right shoulder. I do not know what I'm doing right now. How could I suddenly run up and tug at the hem of his robes without a second thought? At that moment, I immediately let go of my hand. The sound of the chains clattering around me echoed. "Actually-" I cursed my stuttering at a time like this. I have to say. I don't want to die while carrying all this burden and curiosity. At least, I have to try. Who knows, once I cross the threshold, I'll pass. At that time, I will not be too sorry for trying. Daran looked impatient with me. "Quickly say! What do you want to talk about? You've wasted my time here. I don't like being exposed to the sun for too long." "Weren't you able to kill them right
DARAN "What do you mean by taking off my clothes?!" My ears feel like they're going to burst. I had to close my eyes and hold my perverted breath. Her screams made my head hurt. The little fox in front of me looks so scared I will be harmful to her. But seeing her scared like this is really fun for me. I haven't played with someone in a long time. How many hundred years? I took off and threw my mask on the bed. Today I have a challenging task. Why isn't Loko here at a time like this? I busily removed the cuffs of my clothes and rolled up the cuffs of my shirt to my elbows. I also took off my tie and shoes. "Wait! What would you do?" Good grief! She's still screaming at me! You girl! I was lifting one leg to remove my shoes when she attacked me. What's with this mad fox? Can't she just shut up for a second? I hate fuss. Moreover, the sound of clattering chains on her body really bothered me. "What else do you want to know?" I've been annoyed too. "Everything was clear I said a
JONEA I sighed and sat quietly in the tub. I looked up at the ceiling with paintings of clouds and exotic ornaments. My body sags a little. I sink my whole body into the water full of flowers. Only my face is showing on the surface. "Looks like, starting today, I won't be able to bathe myself." I closed my eyes, and suddenly Hunter's face flashed back in my mind. The face when he looked at me so coldly while holding the contract paper in his hand. Instantly I felt goosebumps. I crossed both arms over my chest. "Why did Hunter go that far? I could understand him having to defend the pack and protect his people. But, is there no other way than submitting and enslaving Luke Draken?" I just realized the atmosphere in this stone house is so quiet and cold. My bath water is also not warm anymore. It's summer, but why do I feel like I'm shivering so much in this place? I want to get out of the bath. Something burst out of the slightly open window beside the bath just then. I screamed i
DARAN I was shocked and angry when I saw her coming down from the room wearing that dress. "What is this? What clothes were you wearing?" Her appearance in that dress made me completely lose my appetite. I wanted to throw all the lunch dishes that Loko had served at that moment. How presumptuous! She dared to take things I'd been trying to eliminate all this time but always failed. "Sorry," the girl stammered. "But I don't know what to wear? You… have taken the only clothes I have. And I didn't find any clothes besides this old dress that fit me in your wardrobe. I thought I could use it since I saw you kept it in a box and forgot about it long ago." She… actually answered my question? I'm so annoyed. What did she say? Forgotten? She said the dress was just a forgotten item? How can I forget all the disappointments and heartache I've experienced? The dress is a reminder not to make the same mistake a second time. And now, she wears it in front of me. Good grief! She really look
EVANGELISTAThe wind atop this building was fierce, biting my skin like a thousand sharp needles. Yet, I stood firm. In front of me, a handsome man stood tall, his back straight. His silhouette appeared calm, but there was something unsettling in the way he gazed at the city lights below.“I didn’t think you’d find me,” he said, not bothering to turn. His voice was low and heavy, each word carrying an enigmatic echo.I glanced at his shadow on the concrete. In a flash, it shifted—from human form into that of a massive dragon. His body remained human, but his shadow told a different story.I wasn’t reckless. Cautiously, I stepped to his side, my hand ready to reach for my weapon at any moment.“Long time no see, Lycan,” the man greeted, glancing at me. A faint smile touched his lips—not warm, but laced with something darker.“Don’t underestimate me,” I replied coolly. “I came here as a warlord.”The man chuckled, the sound mocking. “Then act like one. Do your duty on the battlefield, i
DARANOn the way back home, my mind kept returning to what Jonea had told me earlier. When she mentioned meeting a strange man in the paint shop, I immediately got a bad feeling. There was something she said that struck a chord: the black mark on the man's forehead."Jonea," I broke the silence. "Can you describe the man you saw at the paint shop?"Jonea looked at me for a moment, probably noticing how serious I was. She paused, as if she was piecing her memory back together.“I don’t know, Daran. It all happened so fast,” she muttered. “He... was right behind me when I accidentally bumped into him. And when I looked at him, I was shocked. I don’t know how to explain it... but he had this strange kind of handsomeness, something out of the ordinary. It was like there was something eternal and timeless in his face. But the most disturbing thing was the black mark on his forehead. It was so dark, different from the ones I’ve seen before.”I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but
DARANAfter dropping Jonea off at campus, I decided to meet up with Eve. There was something only she could do for me, and right now, I needed her help more than ever.I found her in a quiet corner of the campus park, her arms crossed, looking like she’d been expecting me. Her gaze was intense, as if she already knew why I was there. When I walked up to her, she didn’t take her eyes off me, studying me with a sharp, questioning look.“There’s something I need you to do,” I said, getting straight to the point.Eve raised her eyebrows, looking clearly surprised. “What? You’re going to keep her by your side?” She looked at me skeptically, like she couldn’t quite wrap her head around my decision. “That’s a sudden change of heart,” she added with a flat tone, but I could hear the tension in her voice.I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm under her penetrating stare. I knew keeping Jonea close was risky, and if anyone knew the dangers of that, it was Eve.“Are you serious?” she asked a
DARANWithout thinking twice, I grabbed the window handle, yanked it open, and let the cold night air wash over me. Shifting to my lycan form, I jumped out from the second-floor window, landing silently and swiftly in the backyard. Every muscle in my body tensed as I sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of that mysterious figure’s scent.My sharp lycan eyes scanned the dark yard, piercing through the thickening fog. There was nothing here except an unsettling, unnatural calm. Still, I knew that figure couldn’t have just disappeared. I decided to follow its trail, heading quickly to the fence where I first saw its shadow.When I reached the spot, I found... nothing. The thick night fog hung all around, making the shadows of trees and the fence seem even more ominous. No sign of life or any other presence. I growled softly, frustrated by the strangeness of it all."What does this even mean?" I muttered to myself, trying to calm down.Even though the figure had vanished, I could stil
DARANAfter a long and intense conversation with Eve at the gallery, one harsh truth finally hit me: Jonea might be the next target. If this person is after the women connected to me, hoping to find someone with the “pure red moon blood,” then Jonea is likely their main goal. But maybe—just maybe—they don’t know she’s the one they’re after yet.A wave of panic rushed over me. I can’t let this happen. I should never have left her safety to Owen; this wasn’t his responsibility—it should’ve been me, protecting her myself.Without wasting another second, I jumped into my car and sped off from the gallery, heading straight for the café where we were supposed to meet. Hopefully, I wasn’t too late.But as I drove through the quieting city streets, doubts haunted me. Why did I leave her alone? I should’ve known how dangerous this situation is. Too many innocent people have already been hurt or killed, and I can’t let Jonea become one of them.When I reached the café, it was already late. We s
DARANAs the sun was setting on the horizon, I sat behind the wheel of my car, staring down at the report that had just landed in my hands. It wasn't just any report—it was the result of one of my shadow hunters managing to sneak in and snag a classified document from the dragon police. Carefully, I flipped through page after page, my eyes scanning every word and line on each sheet.When I reached the final page, I froze. A subtle yet undeniable pattern stood out. Every victim was a woman. Not just any women—they were lycan women who once worked for me. They were lycans I had freed from slavery.I'd spent so much time and effort freeing them from the chains of bondage, giving them a new life in the human world, where they could pass as hybrids and live in peace. But now, one by one, they were being hunted and killed.With a trembling hand, I gripped the report, clenching it tightly as anger and worry took over. This wasn't just random murder—it was a message. Whoever was behind this k
DARANIt was just before dawn when a soft knock came at my door. Owen’s voice whispered, letting me know that another body had been found, the third one this week, with the same disturbing pattern as before. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. The whole town was tense; even the guards seemed like they hadn’t slept in days.Quickly, I gave the order to gather a few of my men in the back storage room, a hidden place away from prying eyes. They trickled in, one by one—my “shadow hunters,” lycans with powerful magic who could move unseen. They didn’t have faces; they were more like black shadows moving silently in the dim light.I looked them over, my voice steady, though my mind was racing. “The situation’s getting serious,” I said. “A third body’s been found, the same pattern. We can’t let this go on. We need to find out who’s responsible before anyone else dies.”They all nodded, some of them darkening as if sensing the urgency. I laid out my instructions: who they needed to talk to, where t
JONEAWhen I realized I’d gotten too lost in that kiss, I pushed Daran’s chest as hard as I could, breaking whatever had just happened between us. The lingering warmth on my lips confused me, but I forced myself to remember: I couldn’t allow myself to enjoy something like this. I couldn’t betray Aland. How could I let myself get wrapped up in another man’s touch while fighting so hard for the chance to be free and reunited with Aland?Daran looked at me, breathing heavily, obviously unsatisfied with how abruptly I’d ended things. His face showed confusion, almost like he was trying to figure it out. He asked softly, “What’s wrong, Jonea?”I looked down, unable to meet his intense red eyes, which were still smoldering. “This is… wrong, Daran,” I whispered, mostly to myself, reminding myself of the huge risk I was taking by letting my guard down with him.Daran looked bewildered but took a small step closer. “I wasn’t lying when I said you mean something to me. At first, I thought you w
JONEAI looked at Daran, waiting for an explanation. Whatever his reason was for stepping in earlier, I wanted to know. But he just stood there in silence, his eyes distant. It was like there was a part of him I could never reach, something he was hiding away, locked up tight.Maybe it's better not to know, I thought. If he didn’t want to tell me, I wouldn’t force it. That's his world—a world I can't enter.Finally, he offered to take me home, but I shook my head. I didn’t want to lean on him more than I already had. Without a second thought, I turned and walked away.I could feel Daran watching me as I walked, but I didn’t look back. The walk home felt way longer than usual, and each step brought me back to the mess earlier—Owen and Hunter fighting. Because of me. It was strange, almost surreal.Owen, with his warmth and straightforwardness, tried to protect me, and so did Daran. They both acted like I was some fragile porcelain doll that couldn't even get a scratch. But the way they